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Patent Depository

Patent Deposit Services

ATCC has been providing dependable storage of materials for patent purposes since 1949, long before depositing was a formal requirement of any patent office. Our patent depository currently includes more than 20,000 strains of biological materials.

ATCC is an International Depository Authority (IDA) for the deposit of biological material for the purposes of patenting under the Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure. ATCC assumes no liability for the correctness of the depositors information concerning patent and safe deposits.

Dependable storage. ATCC has been storing biological materials since 1925. We are experts in maintaining viability and integrity of cultures.

International patenting. ATCC is an International Depository Authority (IDA) under the International Budapest Treaty for deposits to meet patent office requirements in many countries. All countries signatory to the Budapest Treaty must recognize the deposit of biological material with any IDA. Standard patent deposit, which meets the requirements of the USPTO, is also available.

Security and confidentiality. Our facility is specially designed for secure long-term storage of biological materials. All deposits are strictly confidential until the patent issues.

How to deposit

The first step in depositing materials for patent purposes is to contact the Patent Depository prior to shipping your biological materials. Please e-mail the Patent Depository at patentdeposit@atcc.org of your intent to ship patent deposit materials to ATCC to ensure that all required documentation has been completed. If you do not contact ATCC prior to shipping your biological materials there could be delays in processing your patent deposit.

Non-Budapest Treaty Deposit Form 34 must be completed for all other patent deposits. It is not necessary to complete Form 34 if you complete the Budapest Treaty BP/1 form. If both forms are completed, the BP/1 form supersedes the Form 34.

Complete identification is required for each deposited item to ensure that ATCC is aware of all characteristics that may impact regulatory compliance in their handling, storage, and distribution. This information must be included on the patent deposit form or appended as necessary.

The following list describes how much biological material is needed for a valid deposit:

In the case of viruses, cell cultures, purified plasmids or vectors, consortia, mixed cultures and seeds, it is the responsibility of the depositor to furnish sufficient quantity for the specified period of time. In most instances ATCC will not replicate this type of material. ATCC does not accept test tubes or other actively growing cultures.